Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: Sports

Brett Harvey has been clutch down the stretch. He scored 19 against Siena.

Media Credit: Jesse DeFlorio Brian Rudolph goes up for a layup.

By Dave Lomonico
Sports Editor

The Jimmy Patsos formula for creating a backcourt: 1. Take two 6-foot-nothing ball handlers. 2. Move the more experienced of the two to shooting guard. 3. Take the freshman off the bench and make him the point guard. 4. Sit the transfer, who was supposed to start, down for now. 5. Yank the best pure shooter and make him the sixth man.

Seem a little confusing, and maybe a tad perplexing? Maybe so, but the formula isn't unprecedented. And it's working out just fine for Brett Harvey and Brian Rudolph, the foundation of Loyola's backcourt.

"I got the idea from watching Chris Corchiani and Rodney Monroe from N.C. State - a little fire and ice," Patsos said. "[Rudolph and Harvey] both are not very big, but they're both quick and can score in their own ways. Both play the point, handle the ball. It's been really good for us."

That's an understatement. Ever since Rudolph took over the point against Fairfield back on Jan. 11 the Hounds are playing .750 ball (9-3), and 13 of Loyola's 15 wins this year have come with Rudolph in the starting lineup. Two weeks ago Rudolph was named MAAC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time after averaging almost 10 points, four rebounds and six assists in a three-game stretch. In the 12 games since cementing a spot as a starter, Rudolph consistently gets about six assists a night in 25 minutes of play.

"It's all about going out there and doing what I can to help the team," Rudolph said. "Whether that's passing, rebounding, defense -- whatever it takes."

The opposition is taking notice. Siena head coach Fran McCaffrey said before last Saturday's game that of all the things Loyola does well, it's Rudolph who has made the biggest difference. Rudolph thanked McCaffrey kindly. Then he proceeded to score 15 points, grab eight rebounds and dish out five assists as Loyola defeated Siena on their home court.

Harvey hasn't gone anywhere, however. He knew at the beginning of the season he would be moving to the two-guard spot while still carrying the responsibilities of a second point guard. (He still calls the plays on defense, and he's been a vocal leader.) Like Rudolph, Harvey points to the Fairfield game as the turnaround. Since dropping a career-high 20 points in a win over the Stags, Harvey has scored in double figures seven times, including another 20-point effort against Niagara and a 19-point effort against Siena. In addition, he's still averaging about five assists a night.

"That Fairfield game really gave my confidence a boost," Harvey said. "Brian had eight assists, and I had 20 points. Before that I hadn't been scoring a lot of points, but ever since, I've been looking for shots, being more aggressive on offense."

With Gerald Brown as the primary scorer and Michael Tuck racking up points inside, Harvey is that alternate option that defenses must account for. Against Niagara two Sunday's ago, Harvey struggled all first half, failing to score. In the second half, he lit up the Purple Eagles for 20 points, although it wasn't enough to overcome Charron Fisher and Co.

Harvey says his emergence as a scorer is a result of the backcourt jelling with each other.

"Brian's a better driver then I am, so when he drives, he's creating shots for me," Harvey said. "And when I look for a shot, I can find Brian cutting when the defense steps out."

Basically, it's two point guards who have put their egos aside to work towards a common goal: winning ballgames.

The switch hasn't only helped Harvey and Rudolph. It's had a trickle-down effect on the whole team. The half-court offense is more in synch, the transition game is smoother and as a result the team is scoring in the 70-to-80 point range as opposed to the 50-to-60 point range.

"I think we're calmer now because there are two point guards back there," Rudolph said.

Not to mention that Rudolph plays tenacious defense and has drastically cut down on his turnovers. Rudolph is only 5-feet-11 inches tall, and in basketball terms, he gets dubbed a "gnat." Opponents hate it. Patsos and Co. love it.

"He's always going to be a defense, pass first guy," Patsos said. "I'm pleased with his play."

And just as Harvey has developed into a shooter in his sophomore year, albeit by necessity, Rudolph could be expected to score more in the future.

"He can score," Patsos said. "He's learning the offense, but now he'll learn the counters -- the third option -- and in that sense I hope he catches up with Harvey in scoring."

Yes, things have certainly sorted themselves out in the Greyhound backcourt, but it wasn't what Patsos and the team envisioned at the beginning of the year. Joe Miles, a transfer, was slated as the starting point guard, but several problems derailed his development. When Miles didn't work out, most assumed the Hounds would feature last year's duo of Harvey at point and junior Marquis Sullivan at shooting guard.

But at the beginning of the year, Patsos said, "I didn't bring [Rudolph] here to sit next to me." Perhaps it was a foreshadowing of things to come. Still, no one expected Rudolph to take over the starting role so early. Fortunately for the Hounds, Rudolph proved more than ready. He's taken his lumps -- just like Harvey last season -- but he's gotten better with more minutes.

"He's made some mistakes -- at Niagara he took a wide open three and he could have drove," Patsos said. "But he's learning how to get the ball inside, how to get some guys some different looks."

Rudolph's development has allowed Sullivan to become a weapon off the bench, and Patsos has openly lobbied for the third-year sharp shooter to be named Sixth Man of the Year. Sullivan still gets 25 minutes a night, and he's averaging about 12 points a game over the last 12 games. In a victory over Canisius, Sullivan sparked Loyola's offense with four-straight three pointers, and he used his deadly touch from downtown in a 23-point effort against Manhattan.

"In no way is Marquis going away; he's done a great job accepting his role," Patsos said. "I'm not going to change the starting lineup. I'm committed to it, and they've worked well together."

There's no reason to tamper with success. Harvey and Rudolph have two more years together, and Sullivan still has another year. The trio has the potential to be one of the most dominant backcourts in the MAAC next year.

"With these three guys manning spots for the next two years," Patsos said, "I can at least get some sleep at night."

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